22 MARCH 2008, Page 79

Q. I am shortly to attend a lunch where lots

of my friends will be. However, I am rather dreading sitting next to one particular old codger who has become a bit repetitive in his old age. I gather there will be no places at table and wonder how I can orchestrate it so that we do not sit next to each other — without my making an unseemly dash to get away from him.

Name and address withheld A. Telephone the old gent on the morning of the lunch. Allow half an hour of chatting. When you arrive at the table you can joke that since the two of you have nothing further to say to each other following your lengthy chat that morning you had better sit separately.